The culinary
attractions in Paris match anything else the city has to offer, and
you don't have to spend a fortune to enjoy them. Street markets are
in every neighborhood and contain as fine a selection of cheese and
charcuterie as any high-priced restaurant. Gleaming pastry
shops beckon you with croissants, tarts, éclairs, and
elaborate cakes. Even a humble sandwich becomes a Parisian specialty
when it's made with a crusty baguette or the dense, chewy Pain
Pôilaine.

Of course, you
will also want to sample the offerings of the local chefs, and --
with a little planning -- it is possible to be a gourmet without
breaking the bank. The key to fine dining on a modest budget is to
eat where the Parisians eat and stay away from restaurants
surrounding major tourist attractions. You'll find few bargains
around the Eiffel Tower or along the Champs-Elysées. Leave the
mediocre cafés on the place du Tertre to the milling crowds of
sightseers. Opt instead for restaurants in neighborhoods where people
live and work, which are forced to keep their prices and quality
competitive. (For more tips on dining in France, see our chapter on
French Eating
Establishments.)

Review: Zagat Survey - Paris
Restaurants

The title of this handy publication is based on the fact that its
reviews have been culled by surveying 1700 diners who ate a combined
330,000 meals in a year, covering 825 restaurants in Paris and its
surroundings. Of those surveyed, 96% are French, 71% are male, and
the breakdown by ages is as follows: 20's - 11%, 30's - 26%, 40's -
23%, 50's - 25%, 60's or above - 15%. The Zagat survey concept began
30 years ago, and guides are now published for over 40 cities
throughout the world.

What makes this pocket-sized guide such an excellent value (List
$11.95 US, 69.00FF, £7.99 UK, $15.95 Canada), is that it not
only offers individual reviews for each restaurant, but provides
ratings in every conceivable category. For example, the guide rates
the top spots by various different criteria:

Following the pages of rankings is the alphabetical listing of all
restaurants, including street address, arrondissement, métro
stop, phone number, hours, credit cards accepted, numerical values
for food / decor / service and price range, and summaries of the
surveyors' own commentaries. In the back of the book, a comprehensive
index lists all restaurants by arrondissement, nationality, category,
and special features, including such helpful ones as:

The Paris Survey was coordinated by Elizabeth and Philippe
d'Hémery. Editors are Alexander Lobrano, a food and travel
writer; François Simon, a journalist and author of gastronomic
guides; Mary Deschamps and M.L. Lewis, freelance writers specializing
in lifestyle and cultural subjects. No doubt, this book will prove
invaluable to both the traveler on a tight budget, as well as the
jet-setter looking for the poshest setting or the trendiest new
cuisine!

Review: Cafés of
Paris

In which café did Robespierre play chess? Where was
Napoleon forced to leave his hat in lieu of payment when he forgot
his purse? In what establishment did Simone de Beauvoir find respite
from loneliness after Sartre left for the Front? "The Cafés of
Paris...a Guide" provides much more than the encyclopedic listing of
establishments one might expect.

In rich detail, author Christine Graff has conjured up the kind of
book no lover of Paris should be without. "In the 11th
arrondissement, close to the Bastille on the rue Saint-Sabin is a
real find: the Café de L'Industrie.... Here, in a café
that looks as if it might have been Bogart's just before he went off
to Casablanca, you can sip coffee for five francs standing or nine
francs seated at the dark red banquettes next to old wood tables.
Faded cream walls, the frosted Deco glass, old photos of French
celebrities, Oriental rugs well past their first splendor, an artsy
crowd, and strains of traditional French folksinging coming from the
back create an ambiance of Old France."

Flavored with witticisms from Montesquieu to Henry Miller, The
Cafés of Paris shines like the city itself. Chapter titles
such as "The Ratman of Paris and Other Café Stories," "A
Cheapskate's Guide to Cafes," and "Parisians Discuss Their Favorite
Cafés" offer only a hint of the wealth of information to be
found in this charming guide.

With findings based on
the opinions of ordinary diners,
Zagat's restaurant guides are much more
reliable than critiques written by any
one person. Restaurants are separately
rated on food, decor, service, and
cost, with snappy reviews that are
concise and fun to read.

Covering
All of Paris and Immediate Surrounding
Neighborhoods
by Zagat Survey

A
restaurant critic for France's weekly
L'Express and The International Herald
Tribune, and a renowned food
journalist, Patricia Wells is eminently
qualified to write about the culinary
treasures of Paris. Pat Wells returns
to each of the more than 450
restaurants, bistros, cafés, and
specialty food shops listed. She
samples, she reviews, she updates all
vital statistics, she drops those whose
quality has disappointed and she
recommends more than 100 terrific new
places, emphasizing less expensive
entries. And of course she brings back
recipes, 20 new ones in all.

To the average
Parisian, the local café serves
almost as a private club, a place to
take a respite from work, meet friends,
and relax. Getting to know the
cafés can be your key to really
discover the city, its people, its
pace, and its charm.

Art Prints of Bistros &
CafésSample works of art
depicting French cafés and bistros in quaint
settings, by such artists as George Bates,
André Bertounesque, Pierre Auguste Renoir,
Victor Shvaiko, Mark St. John, Henri de
Toulouse-Lautrec, and others. These prints may be
purchased (and framed) at a 20% discount through
DiscoverFrance.net's affiliation with
Art.com.

Cafés of
ParisA mini-directory of
the better-known Paris cafés, listed by
arrondissement, with mini-reviews, photos, and
hours of business.

Cyber
Cafés
The creators of the Guide to Pubs and Bars offer
helpful reviews on the growing collection of
cafés where you can log on to the Internet
while enjoying a café au
lait. Some of the
cafés have their own web sites.

Guide to Pubs and Bars in
ParisAdam
Hatia and Ian Hall have
assembled an A to Z list of 206 bars in Paris, 129
of which have been given scores. Places are given
points for music, ambience, beer, cocktails,
prices, etc. in a "frighteningly scientific"
manner. Check this month's "10 best" and "10 worst"
ratings for saloons in various categories. The
guide includes a handy listing of bars by
district.

Paris Beer
Guide
Learn where to drink and where to
buy a brew in the City
of Lite. If you're a gringo who can't speak the
lingo, you'll be happy to know that Paris is
blessed with English, Irish, American, Australian,
and Anglo-tolerant French pubs. Josh Mittleman
offers a review of the brewhouses
from an anglophone's point of view. How about a
glass of "Dark de Triomphe" (Dry stout)?

Best
Buys of Paris RestaurantsCulled from
Frommer's and the Zagat Survey, here are tips on
eating cheaply, plus a list of the 80 least
expensive places.

Best Restaurants in
ParisThe 200 gastronomic
superstars of Paris
are showcased with more than 1000 pictures and
detailed reviews. Not for the faint of pocketbook.
Reservations essential; their web site offers a
form with which you can query availability for
specific dates and times at your choice of
restaurant.

Les Frères
Blanc
These eight establishments claim to be "the most
beautiful Parisian restaurants." Menu listings
& prices were last updated in May 1997. Les
Frères Blanc also offer "Privilege evenings"
at 7 locations: for 350FF per person, enjoy dinner
before or after a theatrical performance at one of
a dozen local venues.

Going native in
ParisAdrian
B. Leeds, author of
The Leeds Good Value
Guide to Paris Restaurants, gives
advice on dining as the locals do. Other articles
include: The Secret Formula of the Frugal Gourmet
in Paris, Getting the Royal Treatment, A Global
Microcosm in Paris, and Intricacies of Working and
Living in Paris.

The Restaurants in
Paris
The Paris Tourist Office cites approximately 8000
restaurants in Paris. Here is their selection of
worthy contenders, categorized by restaurants open
after midnight, those with a terrace or a view, the
"in" restaurants, places open 24 hours, etc. You
can also search their database.

The History of
CheeseWith roughly 400
different kinds of cheese offered in France, it's
nice to have a little primer on its origins and
designations. FranceWay also discusses the
controversy about pasteurization, its effect on
flavour, and whether pasteurized cheeses are
inferior. Although mass-produced cheese ranks first
in household consumption, there has been a
resurgence of hand-made cheeses recently.
Brie-lovers unite! (SEE ALSO: NEWS
ARTICLES on cheese.)

A
Legacy of FranceEverything you
wanted to know about wine: history, art &
technique of wine-making, distinct growing regions,
appellations (classifications), categories, vintage
ratings, how to choose a wine, proper storage and
serving methods, the right glass to use, methods of
proper wine tasting, prices, and a handy dictionary
of wine terms. Also listed are links to many
vineyards' web sites.